Month: October 2017

Dear As I travel to Brussels today, I know that many people will be looking to us – the leaders of the 28 nations in the European Union – to demonstrate we are putting people first. I have been clear throughout this process that citizens’ rights are my first priority. And I know my fellow leaders have the same objective: to safeguard the rights of EU nationals living in the UK and UK nationals living in the EU. I want to give reassurance that this issue remains a priority, that we are united on the key principles, and that...

Britain’s entry into Europe was a long, painful process – with clear lessons for our even more painful departure, says EDWARD BICKHAM, curator of a new exhibition on this pivotal period in British history During the late 1940s, Winston Churchill had been the darling of many European political salons as a result of making trenchant speeches advocating a new form of European unity. At the start he presented Britain, along with the United States, as a sponsor and facilitator rather than a direct participant, but by the end of the decade he clearly envisaged British involvement in the new...

The thought that our current Government should even contemplate a ‘No Deal’ exit from the EU, or Philip Hammond should call the EU “our enemy”, is sheer lunacy. In contrast, let’s remember the Leave campaign told voters that the UK could look forward to “sunny uplands” of progress post-Brexit – in other words, the complete opposite of the economic suicide, with catastrophic social consequences, now staring the UK in the face. Indeed, you’ll remember that the Leave Campaign’s promises included: A post-Brexit free trade deal with the EU that will be the “easiest in human history” (Fox); “We can...

The man who would be King Please take a minute (literally) to watch this short video of our Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, representing us in Myanmar – formerly known (by us) as Burma – and weep at his crass ineptitude in this role (see http://bit.ly/2yzlXeP). Then remember that Boris Johnson was the former Lord Mayor of London who used to think remaining in the EU would be a terrific idea but, somehow, now thinks it’s a very bad idea and leaving the EU would be an even more terrific idea instead, offering the UK new “sunny uplands” of prosperity. Moreover,...

It’s really painful watching Brexit predictably turning our country into the world’s first example of voluntary, collective, national self-harm. For instance: (1) On Friday last week, the Evening Standard’s front page headline was, “HOME OWNERS HIT BY DOUBLE BLOW: HOUSE PRICES FALL FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2009; INTEREST RATES TO RISE SOON, SAYS BANK CHIEF”. Who can conceivably argue that the increased interest rates Mark Carney explained are inevitable after Brexit won’t push individuals into further debt and homeowners into negative equity? We’ve been here before, and it never ends well. As always, the people worst off in society will...